The UK government is preparing new laws that will require gig economy platforms such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat Takeaway to verify that their workers have the legal right to work in the country.
The move follows media reports revealing illegal work. Many newly arrived migrants have been working for food delivery and other app-based platforms. Because these companies classify their couriers as self-employed contractors, they have so far not been required to carry out right-to-work checks.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the consultation alongside details of a nationwide crackdown on illegal employment. Between October 2024 and September 2025, the Home Office conducted 11,000 raids. These efforts led to 8,000 arrests. Mahmood vowed to eliminate illegal working, which she said encourages unlawful migration.
“Those found to be working illegally in beauty salons, car washes, or as delivery drivers will be arrested, detained, and removed from this country,” she said. “I will do whatever it takes to secure Britain’s borders.”
The consultation will gather feedback from gig platforms on how to implement the new checks efficiently. The measures are part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill. Currently, it is under debate in the House of Lords.
The rules will address cases where workers use someone else’s account to access gig work. This is a common method used to evade employment checks. Evidence suggests that account holders with legal work status sometimes rent out their profiles to migrants without such rights.
Stricter Sanctions
The UK Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling in a Deliveroo case required platforms to allow workers to appoint substitutes. This provision has made enforcement more difficult. To strengthen oversight, the government also plans to introduce a digital ID system to prevent illegal working.
Employers who hire people without valid work rights face up to five years in prison. They may receive fines of £60,000 per worker, or even face business closure.
At a government summit in July, major delivery companies agreed on measures to tighten compliance and were given the addresses of hotels housing asylum seekers to prevent them from being hired illegally.
Most asylum seekers in the UK remain barred from employment while awaiting decisions, unless they have specific skills on the national shortage list.
